Fesenjan (Pomegranate Chicken)

When John and I went to visit family in San Diego a few months ago, John’s aunt Nadia was shocked to hear we had never had Persian food. Growing up in the Middle East it was all she knew in her younger years and still loves it today. So for our remaining few hours in California before jetting back to the Midwest, Nadia treated us to a traditional Persian meal that left quite the impression on me.

Fesenjan (prounced fesenjoon). This dish a must. If not for Thanksgiving then today, tomorrow or the next. The combinations of ingredients is pure genius; and its the flavors, textures and complexity are absolutely stunning. One bite in and I knew I had to try this at home.

After Nadia treated us to an appetizer of Creamy Eggplant Dip (bademjoon) and pita that blew my mind, this was the one-two punch to totally knock my taste buds off their tiny taste bud feet. This dish all starts with walnuts and pomegranates. Hello superfoods much?

First, walnuts are toasted and finely ground while simmering down pomegranate juice into a reduction, also known as pomegranate molasses (or you can just buy the stuff). In the meantime, onion and chicken are browning to create a hearty, flavorful base. Vegetarians can simply omit the chicken or sub in more whole toasted walnuts or even chickpeas. It really is versatile in that way since the sauce is really where it’s at.

While the rest of your ingredients are simmering along, chop up some parsley and de-seed a pomegranate. A quick 15 minutes of simmering and it’s all ready. Serve over rice or with naan with pomegranate arils and parsley and go straight to Persian food heaven.

This dish will knock you off your feet it’s so good. I shared it with friends last week and they agreed, adding “incredible” “mmmmm” and “sooooo goood.”

Though this recipe takes more than an hour to prepare, the stew itself requires just 10 ingredients (including spices you likely have on hand) and is very simple to throw together. You could also shave off a little more time by roasting your walnuts and de-seeding your pomegranate ahead of time.

I vote you make this for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, Christmas, New Years and everything in between. The flavors and the textures just don’t stop.

The recipe below is for a somewhat small batch, feeding 3-4. But double or triple it for a crowd. No one will complain about more food and the leftovers are nothing to whine about. Here’s to exploring new cultures, crazy new foods and exciting new traditions. Cheers!

If you don't have pomegranate molasses, make your own by pouring pomegranate juice into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, add a pinch of salt and a little lime juice and simmer for 45 minutes until reduced. Set aside to cool. You will have leftovers.

Next, toast walnuts in a shallow pan over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant. Once cooled, transfer to a food processor or blender and blend into a fine meal. Set aside.

Next, if you're serving with rice, start by rinsing 1 cup rice in a fine mesh strainer. Bring 2 cups water to a boil, add rice and a pinch of salt. Cover and turn to low. White rice should take 18-25 minutes; brown rice 30-40. Don't open lid until it's done. Fluff and set aside, covered.

Serve over rice or with naan. Garnish with pomegranate arils and parsley. Store leftovers covered in the fridge. Should keep for several days.

Notes

*Nutritional information reflects 1 of 4 servings with rice.*Pomegranate molasses method from Javaneh's Kitchen.*Fesenjan adapted from Simply Recipes.*Rice cooking method from The Kitchn.*Keep this recipe vegetarian-friendly by subbing veggie stock for chicken stock and chickpeas or additional whole, roasted walnuts for the chicken. Keep it vegan by subbing agave nectar or maple syrup for honey.*For a lighter version of this meal, sub cauliflower rice for regular rice.

Wow – I’m so intrigued, Dana. If there’s one thing I’ve learned after being in Asia for a few years, it’s that there is such depth to so many different cuisines – flavors and combinations I might never have dreamed up on my own. This is such a good example!

I love fesenjan chicken, brings back a lot of memories. Your dish looks as gorgeous as something I used to enjoy eating at this fancy place back in India. The chef there said that they left the curry sit in the sauces overnight for the flavors to develop. Aaah, I so need to make this now.

Hi Dana- Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. I will be making it soon. As a personal chef, the dishes I make need to be able to freeze and thaw well. With the exception of the pomegranates, do you think the fesenjan chicken meets the freeze and thaw well criteria?

Half-Persian here too! Was surprised to see this up on this website, how fun! As a veggie-Persian, I add butternut squash in (pre-baked, and more pureed than diced) while simmering. I bring this to parties, honestly many people don’t think it looks appetizing on a first glance but basically anyone loves it once they try it. Nice work, guys.

Found this recipe on Pinterest and made it for lunch today. So good! I’m a huge fan of pomegranate molasses and I’m always excited to find new recipes that call for it. Will definitely be making this again.

Hi, good but it is not the original recipe, actually instead of pomegranate juice, there is kind of dense souse which is called “Robe anar” but it made by pomegranate juice and the color should be more dark and the taste is better

There’s a Persian couple who own a tiny slice of storefront in a run-of-the-mill pizza joint in the Flatiron neighborhood of Manhattan where I work. They serve this amazing stew, and I was so excited to find this recipe so I can attempt myself! Persian food is such a treat, and so overlooked in the States. Thank you!

I am a Baha’i, which is a religion from Persia (now Iran). Every Baha’i community in which I have been a member around the world has some Persians in it. Their food contributions to our 19 Day Feasts . Right now, there are no Baha’is nearby and I am missing everything: community, worship, and the food. I am looking forward to making this dish and will think of far away friends as we enjoy it!

I tried this recipe several times now, and whenever I make it for guests they all love it.

Here are some notes I made:
The first time I made it, it came out really well in terms of flavor, but I made a crucial by preparing the day before my guests arriving and then reheating for close to 3 hours or so. The meat had by that time become rather dry, was falling apart and was sort of stringy. So now I don’t prepare the dish a day in advance, but on the day my guests come over for dinner.

I also noticed that there are massive differences in the quality of commercial pomegranate molasses. I bought a bottle from Turkey, and when I looked on the ingredients about 30% was some sort of syrup and there were many other additives in there as well. It was a thin liquid, and for my first fesenjan, I added close to 800 ml of pomegranate juice after realizing that it had very little taste. I then bought a Lebanese brand, recommended to me be the owner of Middle Eastern deli. Though it was also not 100% pomegranate, it was thicker and had much richer flavor. I have yet to try making my own molasses.

Thank you for sharing, I felt it was a true representation of Iranian food, so many flavours bouncing in your mouth with such gentleness. I threw a large bunch of frozen pomegranate seeds onto mine just before serving, and I do believe these just take the dish to the highest place. Being to Iran recently, It bought back lovely memories of the country. Again thank you.. Really beautiful authentic dish.

We spent three years in Iran between 1975 and 1978. We lived in Gilan province. In Gilan, Fesenjan is made with sour pomegranate paste/syrup. Fesenjan made in Tehran is sweet, like the recipe you’ve provided. Cooks in Gilan also don’t use cinnamon, nutmeg or honey. The woman who showed us the recipe did not roast her walnuts. I’ll have to try that and see what the difference is and if it is worth the extra step. We also slow cook this recipe for several hours, using chicken thighs instead of breasts. Thanks for sharing this recipe and being so enthusiastic about Iranian food.

The flavour of this is lovely and it very easy to prepare. The chicken is a little tough. Maybe next time I will add it later in the cooking process.

For those who have problems deseeding a Pom, fill a bowl full of water and use a spoon to just carve the red jewels out. Any with white pith will float to the top and when it has all been removed just pour the bowl and contents into a strainer.

Loved it! First time trying Persian cuisine and it was a unique but welcomed mix of flavors and textures. I purchased concentrated pomegranate juice and it reduced in no time. I also added a bit of ground cloves and I liked the flavor it added. Awesome recipe!

Made this for my family for dinner tonight and it was a success! Such an interesting dish, I’ve never had anything quite like it before. Served with brown jasmine rice and a zesty Shirazi salad (basically a Persian version of cucumber tomato salad) to contrast the earthiness of the dish. Thanks so much for the amazing recipe, I’ll definitely be putting it on regular rotation!

I haven’t made chicken fesenjan for many years and glad I stumbled on the recipe again. We had it in a Persian home in Isfahan the first time and the walnuts were in recognizable pieces What a memorable meal that was. I have always been amazed at the amazing dishes Iranian women can turn out and often with virtually no kitchen compared with what we have in the US…at least that was the way when we lived there 40 or so years ago.

We are trying to cut back on meat and I thought this would be the perfect dish to slip some tofu in. If I fried it with the chicken, do you think I could get away with it?

Yes, definitely time for some great Persian food. Thanks for the recipe.

Although I haven’t made it yet, I am still giving it a five star rating because this looks like the recipe I used in the past.

Thanks for the reply, Dana. I am going to experiment and add *some* tofu and see if anyone realizes what I have done. If they do, I am in big trouble because THEY (the family) gets really bent out of shape when they think I have ruined something.

I love all our dishes, but Fesenjoon is on top of my list. There is nothing like it anywhere.
My Mom only made it in Fall & Winter, because it is a comfort food and makes you warm:)
Do not put curry in it! You can add a Tbs of tomato paste in addition to the molasses, and I also use crane apple juice for the base.
I am making sone this weekend!

This came out amazing! I had to substituted curry for the turmeric and pumpkin spice for the cinnamon/nutmeg since I didn’t have any on hand. Definitely satisfied my craving! Thank you so much for the recipe :)!

Hi! I live in Vienna and cooked this for two young Persian men on Easter Monday. One told me it would be hard. Well, it wasn’t as hard as I thought since I had found some pomegranate sauce! They loved it, an. d I’m going to cook it again soon! I will try it the vegetarian way, since I usually eat vegetarian. Thanks for this great recipe, explained in such a simple way!
Oh, and btw, one of the two taught me how to make the saffron rice perfect: pour hot water on to a little saffron, then pour everything on to the rice. Makes it nice and yellow and tastes delicious!

Sorry but to a pomegranate should NOT peeled with a whack or cut through !! Simply put the ONLY part that is cut is the skin. Cut a square of the skin on top of fruit and another at bottom and pull to peel .Then score 4 lines on the skin from the 4 corners of the part previously cut on top and bottom and pull the fruit apart . The 4 section of the fruit will split easily I have been doing this since I was a child never lost a single seed. Whit this method not a single seed will squirt, I guarantee ! Write to me if above is not clear and will explain better.

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Hi, I'm Dana! I create simple, delicious recipes that require 10 ingredients or less, one bowl, or 30 minutes or less to prepare.